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Custom Travel Planning: Why You Need a Middle Man

Planning a first time backpacking trip is a journey in itself.

There are so many things to remember, and one minor mistake could send the whole house of cards tumbling down.

Even a relatively short journey can require days or weeks of advanced preparation. A longer journey may need to be planned months in advance.

Not everybody has the time on their hands to dedicate every spare moment to an overseas journey.

Exploring the world can be such an empowering, special and life-changing experience, that it would be nothing short of a travesty to let something as simple as custom travel planning get between you and the trip of a lifetime.

Let me keep it real.

Not everyone will need a travel planner.

If you’re a seasoned traveller, who is allergic to any form of tours and organised itineraries and you’re accustomed to booking complex trips, then you probably don’t need a middle man.

Why I Was Sceptical About Custom Travel Planning

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But if time is of the essence and you want the security and peace of mind of knowing that your trip is being taken care of, you probably do need a travel planner – more than you would think.

Before I travelled the world, I was a little bit of a purist about the whole idea of travel planning and I swore blind I’d do the whole thing myself.

But when it actually came to booking my trip, arranging multiple tours, visas, itineraries, flights, package deals and hotels, I realised I simply couldn’t do it all by myself.

What Can a Travel Planner Do For You?

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The travel planners I used were also there for me during my backpacking trip, and they supported me whenever anything went wrong.

They saved me from wasting much more money and time than I otherwise would have.

This experience is what inspired me to help others to plan their dream holiday.

Now I’m a convert. Let me tell you why:

Benefits of a Travel Planner

Custom Travel Planning saves You Time

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No two journeys are the same. Even if you are travelling a well worn path, your journey will not look the same as everyone else’s. The times you choose to go, the costs of your trip, the things you plan to do, the people you meet and the political climate will all have a bearing on your journey.

Employing the services of a travel planner will save you from having to figure out every single, minute detail by yourself. They will have the knowledge, deals, databases and experience to help you plan the best trip, with your budget and particular circumstances in mind.

You could of course figure everything out by yourself. But it will more than likely take you twice as long and the experience can be overwhelming.

Finding the best flight deals, and comparing flight paths and airlines is a time consuming process.

Unless you have an extensive working knowledge of the planet’s geography, it is unlikely that you will be able to quickly figure out the most ideal routes for the least amount of money.

Sometimes the worst and the longest routes are actually the cheapest.

Yes, there is a wealth of information on the internet. Everything you need to know is only a click away.

But that’s actually the problem – there is so much information out there that the choice is overwhelming and confusing to many travellers.

The information overload alone eats up a considerable amount of time.

That’s where your Travel Planner comes in. They can save you so much stress and time prior to your departure and do all the research and custom travel planning prior to your trip.

You can then sit back, relax and concentrate on having a good time and let the travel planner take on all the stress for you.

Save Money

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A Travel Planner can help you to find the most affordable travel deals for the journey you want to take.

Even with the flat service fee you’ll pay to a travel planner, you’ll still be saving on the cost of your flights, hotels and tours. This is because a travel planner can negotiate deals for you from their suppliers that you wouldn’t be able to on your own.

Professional Knowledge

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A Travel Planner has access to knowledge that most laymen don’t. Is it cheaper to fly directly from England to Tanzania during the Summer? Should you drive across Highway 1 from North to South or the other way?

What visa do you need for a 2-week stay in Turkey? How will Brexit affect European visa rules?

These questions may be perplexing to the man on the street. But a Travel Planner can help you navigate the complex world of travel in virtually no time at all.

When I plan overseas adventures and holidays on behalf of my clients, I don’t do it alone. I use a remote network of international hosts and guides all over the world to keep ahead of the latest developments across the world.

Things are constantly changing in the world of travel. Should you still go to Jamaica after the hurricane? Is Nepal back in business after the earthquake?

A professional Travel Planner makes it their job to keep ahead of global developments, to help you make the best decision for your journey.

Oh and the deals that a Travel Planner can negotiate! Hotels and tour companies naturally have an incentive to grant discounts to travel agents and planners than to a random customer.

This is why utilising the professional knowledge of a travel company can help to save you money.

Support

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What should you do if a flight gets cancelled while you are overseas? How can you quickly rebook if you missed your flight home?

Alternatively, you might get out there and change your mind. Perhaps you want to stay in a country for longer?

Or maybe there’s been a mix-up at the hotel?

If you’re on your own, these scenarios and hundreds like it can spell disaster.

However, a Travel Planner can offer you ongoing support and quickly help to negotiate cheaper travel alternatives and advise you of the best course of action.

It’s like having a professional friend on the other end of the line who can help you sort out problems should anything go pear-shaped.

That’s the beauty of a Travel planner.

It’s not just a case of wham, bam thank you ma’am. By making such an investment in your travel, you have the peace of mind knowing that there is someone you should call upon should you run into trouble.

Custom Travel Planning: The Personal Touch

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You’ve worked hard to get this far. Working long hours, saving up, or perhaps even studying, and now all you want is a well-deserved break.

You need to know that your Travel Planner understands your unique needs and is on the same page as you when it comes to organising your journey.

That’s one of the reasons why people come to me when planning their journeys. Rather than trusting some faceless company, they know they are dealing with an actual human, with a support team and an accredited group of international experts to help them with every aspect of their journey.

As a small, independent travel planner, I am accountable to my customers. If I mess up – it sabotages the bottom line. In other words, I don’t eat.

And that’s the way it should be. This is the guarantee that you get with independent travel agents. No messing around, just a good honest service that will be worth its weight in gold from the get-go.

Why Else Should You Invest In Custom Travel Planning?

The short answer is it saves you time and money, for the reasons described above. The long answer is that it gives you peace of mind.

What’s the point of getting away from it all to relax and unwind if you give yourself a heart attack just to book the holiday in the first place?

For a relatively small upfront investment, you get access to all the best deals, discounts and knowledge and professional support for the duration of your journey.

Do you ever meet those travellers who always seem to get the best deals that you can’t get access to regardless of how diligent you are?

Ever wonder why they just seem to have it all?

Custom travel planning is quite often the key to those mega deals. This is a well-kept secret because hardcore travel bloggers will very rarely admit to having help.

Romantic Notions

There’s a little bit of fanaticism when it comes to using a middle man.

Quite often, people have the romantic notion of going off into the world armed with nothing but a backpack and a compass.

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But the truth is, most people don’t like wasting time and money unnecessarily. That’s just human nature.

It’s the same reason people jump on a flight, instead of paddling their way across the seven seas. It’s the reason why you book tours and why you’d take a train instead of walking.

The sheer convenience, value for money and ongoing support is simply too great to ignore.

And that my friend, is why you need a Travel Planner.

This blog is designed to inspire you and build an online community where you can get all the resources you need to travel. The Backpackers Travel Hub was created to make travelling accessible to everyone - not just the posh people! So drop by and visit the Facebook Group Backpackers Travel Hub. The group contains exclusive tips, and content designed to inspire, motivate and empower you. No sales or annoying gimmicks - just good, solid content. You can also take a peek at the JaninesJourneys Facebook page here. Happy travels!

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